My advice to anyone who wants a custom powder coating color is very simple, and always the same: don’t do it. Is it possible to create a custom powder that matches the exact color you want? Yes. Is it necessary sometimes? Also yes. But the road to custom powder...
Here’s a word problem for the math enthusiasts: if Kaser has been blasting since 2005 and powder coating since 2014, and the population of Lincoln is 292,000 people, how much of our handiwork will be visible from your car window as you drive around town in 2023? The...
Jay Wills (“Wills” to his friends and colleagues) has been spraying powder coating for most of his adult life. He’s as close to being an expert as anyone can be in our field. Here’s a normal day in his life as a powder coater. Consulting the Schedule Wills starts his...
Nine out of ten applicants tell me they want to work at Kaser because they’re interested in automotive restoration. I hate to break their hearts, but I have to be upfront: powder coating has nothing to do with working on cars. For starters, we see very few car parts...
The oven is often the largest, simplest, and most important piece of equipment in the powder coating shop. At Kaser, we have two ovens. One dries parts, and the other cures powder. Both ovens run eight hours a day, every day, and they’re the heartbeat of the shop –...
When it comes to powder coating, more coats does not necessarily mean better performance. Here are a few things to consider when deciding how many coats to spray. When to Spray a Single Coat of Powder Coating At Kaser, we spray a single coat of powder 90% of the time....
Savvy shoppers do their research. In order to advocate for yourself, you have to know the lingo. That’s particularly true if you’re in the market for services (i.e., powder coating). Here are four powder coating terms you should know before you talk to a pro. Shooting...
Coatings are not eternal. Powder coating shows its age in two major ways. 1. How the coating evolves, and 2. How the coating adheres. Here’s what I mean. How Powder Coating Evolves Powder coating has a finite amount of time in the sun – literally – before it starts to...
Nothing ruins a powder coater’s day faster – or more thoroughly – than rework. Rework pops up in the oddest places, at the most inconvenient times. Experienced powder coaters are not immune. While we cannot escape the laws of entropy, we can be proactive about...
It’s no secret: lead times are long. They’re unusually long at Kaser, and from what I can tell, we’re not alone. Mostly, it’s beyond anyone’s control. I can’t solve global hiring and supply chain issues. That being said, there are a few things that customers should...
Two powder coating operators walk into the booth at the same time. They’re spraying identical parts with identical equipment, using powder from the same box. Even their gun settings match. Why do their parts come out looking so different? It turns out that powder...
My life would be a lot simpler if the quality of the powder I purchased correlated directly with the quality of the coatings I produced. But alas. To be clear, investing in high-quality powder is helpful. However, the best powder on the market can easily look...
Once upon a time, I used to let customers flip through vast powder coating color decks and choose whatever they wanted. I no longer do that. Instead, I’ve narrowed Kaser’s selection down to 32 stock colors, and (almost) everyone is much happier. Here’s why. These...
Powder coating is a durable and cost-effective solution for refinishing everything from vent covers to lawn furniture, but it comes with some caveats. Here’s what homeowners need to know. Know the limits of durability. When I say that powder coating is more durable...
Assuming no previous finishing industry experience, all of my new hires start off learning the same thing: how to hang metal parts on carts. Hanging parts is not as simple as it sounds. A lot can go wrong, resulting in serious injuries, inadequate pretreatment, and...
Powder coating can - and, I believe, should - be learned on the job. Experience is the best teacher: you’ll learn far more through trial and error than you could from a book. That being said, here are some helpful ground rules to get you started. Wear your PPE. There...
Powder coating is not a monolith. Instead, it’s a can of worms. A rabbit-hole. A never-ending smorgasbord of colors, textures, gloss levels, chemistries, additives, and applications. When you start to dig into the options, you’ll find that they’re (almost literally)...
Aspiring powder coaters who consume a lot of social media content, this one's for you. Before any of us had wash bays, outbuildings, and multi-step processes, we were one- or two-person operations with a can of MEK and a dream…and we were still putting out coatings....
The powder vs. liquid coating conversation has been going on a long time. Experts have picked sides and spilled ink on the subject for decades, but customers remain confused. I get asked all the time which is better. While I am partial to powder coating because it has...
Here’s a fun industry fact that most customers don’t consider: coatings that are not actively being sprayed must be stored. This presents a spectrum of challenges for a small business like mine. On the high-maintenance side, we have liquid coatings, which are...
Nine out of ten applicants tell me they want to work at Kaser because they’re interested in automotive restoration. I hate to break their hearts, but I have to be upfront: powder coating has nothing to do with working on cars. For starters, we see very few car parts...
The oven is often the largest, simplest, and most important piece of equipment in the powder coating shop. At Kaser, we have two ovens. One dries parts, and the other cures powder. Both ovens run eight hours a day, every day, and they’re the heartbeat of the shop –...
When it comes to powder coating, more coats does not necessarily mean better performance. Here are a few things to consider when deciding how many coats to spray. When to Spray a Single Coat of Powder Coating At Kaser, we spray a single coat of powder 90% of the time....
Savvy shoppers do their research. In order to advocate for yourself, you have to know the lingo. That’s particularly true if you’re in the market for services (i.e., powder coating). Here are four powder coating terms you should know before you talk to a pro. Shooting...
Coatings are not eternal. Powder coating shows its age in two major ways. 1. How the coating evolves, and 2. How the coating adheres. Here’s what I mean. How Powder Coating Evolves Powder coating has a finite amount of time in the sun – literally – before it starts to...
Nothing ruins a powder coater’s day faster – or more thoroughly – than rework. Rework pops up in the oddest places, at the most inconvenient times. Experienced powder coaters are not immune. While we cannot escape the laws of entropy, we can be proactive about...
It’s no secret: lead times are long. They’re unusually long at Kaser, and from what I can tell, we’re not alone. Mostly, it’s beyond anyone’s control. I can’t solve global hiring and supply chain issues. That being said, there are a few things that customers should...
Two powder coating operators walk into the booth at the same time. They’re spraying identical parts with identical equipment, using powder from the same box. Even their gun settings match. Why do their parts come out looking so different? It turns out that powder...
My life would be a lot simpler if the quality of the powder I purchased correlated directly with the quality of the coatings I produced. But alas. To be clear, investing in high-quality powder is helpful. However, the best powder on the market can easily look...
Once upon a time, I used to let customers flip through vast powder coating color decks and choose whatever they wanted. I no longer do that. Instead, I’ve narrowed Kaser’s selection down to 32 stock colors, and (almost) everyone is much happier. Here’s why. These...
Powder coating is a durable and cost-effective solution for refinishing everything from vent covers to lawn furniture, but it comes with some caveats. Here’s what homeowners need to know. Know the limits of durability. When I say that powder coating is more durable...
Assuming no previous finishing industry experience, all of my new hires start off learning the same thing: how to hang metal parts on carts. Hanging parts is not as simple as it sounds. A lot can go wrong, resulting in serious injuries, inadequate pretreatment, and...
Powder coating can - and, I believe, should - be learned on the job. Experience is the best teacher: you’ll learn far more through trial and error than you could from a book. That being said, here are some helpful ground rules to get you started. Wear your PPE. There...
Powder coating is not a monolith. Instead, it’s a can of worms. A rabbit-hole. A never-ending smorgasbord of colors, textures, gloss levels, chemistries, additives, and applications. When you start to dig into the options, you’ll find that they’re (almost literally)...
Aspiring powder coaters who consume a lot of social media content, this one's for you. Before any of us had wash bays, outbuildings, and multi-step processes, we were one- or two-person operations with a can of MEK and a dream…and we were still putting out coatings....
The powder vs. liquid coating conversation has been going on a long time. Experts have picked sides and spilled ink on the subject for decades, but customers remain confused. I get asked all the time which is better. While I am partial to powder coating because it has...
Here’s a fun industry fact that most customers don’t consider: coatings that are not actively being sprayed must be stored. This presents a spectrum of challenges for a small business like mine. On the high-maintenance side, we have liquid coatings, which are...
In a perfect world, the Kaser team would perform quality control at every step of the powder coating process, every day. Hanging, pretreatment, spraying, curing, and packaging – mistakes can (and do) occur at each of these stages, impacting the quality of the finished...
The Kaser team is growing rapidly. My managers and I feel a bit like professors, guiding a fresh batch of recruits through Powder Coating 101 every few weeks or so. This is not a complaint. Yes, training is hard, but the benefits of having a full crew far outweigh the...
Kaser Blasting & Coatings employs a batch booth setup, instead of an automated line. Honestly, that’s been a point of contention for more than one prospective client. Several large manufacturers have declined to give us their business because we don’t have a line....
We live in a world of dirt, oil, and human error. As finishers, it’s good to acknowledge these realities. The sooner we embrace the inevitability of rework, the sooner we can get to problem-solving. Here are the three most common rework scenarios I see at Kaser, and...
Scenario: I’m in a situation that calls for small talk with a stranger (i.e., getting a haircut, sitting in an Uber, or meeting someone for the first time). They ask me what I do for a living. I pause to weigh my options. Option 1: tell them I’m a coater and leave it...
I’ve been hiring long enough to know that the world is full of people whose skills would be valuable in the powder booth…if only they knew that powder coating existed. But they don’t. The more I think about the hordes of mechanically-inclined folks graduating from...
Anytime a customer expresses satisfaction with our coatings, what they’re really happy about is our surface prep. They just don’t know it yet. We’re called Kaser Blasting & Coatings because “Kaser Sanding & Pretreatment” doesn’t really have the same ring. But...
I suspect general public customers are partial to liquid coating because they imagine they could do it themselves. The concept is familiar: they’ve used spray paint, latex paint, even acrylic paint - how different could industrial coating really be? So they push me...
A lot of people approach shopping for industrial coatings as though they were buying their metal parts a makeover. While there’s nothing wrong with prioritizing aesthetics, there’s so much more to be gained from the coating process if you know how to ask for it. I’m...
Metal patio furniture tends to be the general public’s gateway into the world of industrial coatings. This is particularly true in Nebraska, where harsh winters, hot summers, and constant humidity takes a greater-than-average toll on outdoor tables and chairs....
It’s a fact that I don’t relish sharing: aluminum wheels are more expensive to blast and powder coat than steel wheels. Customers who don’t understand the discrepancy will likely be frustrated by it. Let me assure you that our pricing is not arbitrary. There’s a...
Search #powdercoating on Instagram, and you’ll see hot pink wheels with contrasting inlays, metallic powders layered like galaxies, and neon green car parts with clear coat so thick you could get lost in it. It’s beautiful. It’s also very niche. Most people don’t...
There’s no such thing as a universal standard for optimal film thickness. Everything depends upon the part’s application – its environment, its workload, and the coating’s role therein. There’s also no easy way to play it safe. Defaulting to more film thickness won’t...
In powder coating as in life, we should aspire to be well grounded. The good news is that, at least in the powder booth, proper grounding is easy to achieve. Please note that the following advice comes from someone whose powder coating experience revolves solely...
You could be the most experienced operator, spraying the most expensive powder - but if the part’s not properly grounded for powder coating, you won’t get far. Here are three signs that something is wrong with your ground. Poor transfer efficiency Imagine you’re...
If the word “blooming” evokes happy thoughts of springtime and flowers, congratulations – you’re normal. If the word “blooming” triggers feelings of frustration and a deep-seated fear of rework, then you (like me) are probably a powder coater. I would venture to guess...
Shortcuts and work-arounds are lifesavers for busy powder coating job shops. Anytime I can cap threads instead of painstakingly masking them with tape, for instance, I consider that a victory – it’s a time-saver that does not negatively impact the end product. There...
Busy powder coaters will agree: silicone plugs are life-savers. They’re the quickest, most fool-proof way to ensure that blast media and powder coating stay out of vulnerable, threaded areas, and they’re reusable to boot. Like any other tool in your shop, though,...
I’ve been quoting projects like crazy, lately, and I find myself writing the same notes over and over. That usually means it’s time for a blog post. General public customers, this one’s for you: here’s everything your blasting & coating shop can’t do. My note:...
American powder coaters: it’s time for us to get acquainted with our crosslinkers. The crosslinker is responsible for causing polymer chains to link during the curing process. In other words, it’s the chemical agent that transforms the grainy powder we spray into the...
Imagine for a moment that you’re a powder coater. You manage a well-regarded, family-owned blasting and coating business in Lincoln, NE. One day, a customer drops off two signs (that look very similar to one another), and asks you to powder coat one in blue and one in...
Anyone new to the world of powder coating needs to internalize one fundamental truth: yes, powder coating is durable…but it is not indestructible. If you repeatedly hit a powder coated surface with a hammer, it will eventually chip. This may come as a sad revelation...
True or false: there’s no need to package parts before sending them to the finishing shop, because any damage caused in transit will be invisible after blasting and coating? False. While most people understand that freshly-applied powder coating needs to be babied on...
Imagine the hottest day of a Nebraska summer. Now add ten degrees to the temperature. Now picture yourself wearing full-body personal protective equipment and a respirator, while pushing large metal parts around on carts. That’s a normal August day in the life of a...
I got a call the other day from a Kaser client with a question worth blogging about. The client is a retirement community, for whom we had powder coated quite a bit of railing five years prior, all in white. If that raises red flags, it should: I’ve blogged before...
True or false: the back of a truck (pickup truck, air-ride-equipped semi, or any model in between) rides as smoothly as the cab of said truck? False with a capital F and an exclamation point. While suspension has improved over the years, the back of any truck will...
Good shopping means asking the right questions. This is true for just about anything money can buy, and powder coating is no exception. I’m not talking about the powder coating service, this time. I’m talking about the powder itself. No matter who you choose as your...
Humans are attracted to shiny things. I get it – metallic powder coating is mesmerizing. But before you decide that every metal part you own should glitter, allow us to provide you with a reality check: applying metallic powder coatings is an expensive exercise in...
“Danger” is perhaps too strong a word, but anytime you’re dealing with heavy metal parts, there’s always a risk of bodily injury. This risk is heightened a little bit every time you move the part – for instance, transporting it from the parking lot to the blasting...
Anyone who has spilled spaghetti sauce on a white button down, cleaned fingerprints off of a white wall, or tried to keep a white car dust-free knows: the color white tends to be higher-maintenance than most. This is true in the liquid and powder coating world as...
Myth: powder coating, once cured, is indestructible. Fact: while powder coating can be designed to effectively resist weather damage, sunlight, fading, industrial solvents, and moisture, it is not bulletproof. It is not even scratch-proof. If you throw a smooth,...
Kaser sees quite a variety of parts come through the shop - lawn furniture, cars, steel beams and everything in between. Despite the broad diversity of the parts we handle, the majority tends to fall into one of only three substrate categories: steel, aluminum, and...
Powder coating is not a monolith. “Powder” can mean a lot of different things at the chemical level, which is why we can’t (or shouldn’t) spray leftover powders indiscriminately on incoming parts. Different applications require different powder chemistries. Of all the...
We talk a lot about the protective element of powder coating. It’s ideal for outdoor parts, for instance, because powder coating creates a barrier against the elements, protecting the part from damage. But there’s protection, and then there’s PROTECTION. Parts for...
“Can you blast sensitive parts?” Typically, when I get this question, the customer is asking about a smaller part they want cleaned – a firearm, a knife, an oily piston, or something tarnished. They don’t want the current coating (if any) removed, they just want the...
Which is more expensive: powder coating one large part, or powder coating the same part that’s been broken down into several smaller pieces? I get this question all the time. Often, it’s about something like a ladder rack for a truck: ladder racks can either be welded...
I hear it a lot: “I’m restoring a car. Can you help?” The short answer is (usually) yes. Of course, “restoring a car” can mean a lot of different things, so I like to ask some questions, and make a judgment call on a case-by-case basis. For instance, if a customer...
I published an article a while back on the custom color matching process for powder coating. The blog was a bit long and technical, because the custom color matching process is long and technical. In case you missed it, here’s the short version: matching powder...
Adhesion. If you’ve been following Kaser Blasting & Coatings on social media, you know that adhesion has been the theme of 2018. Good adhesion is the foundation of a high-quality powder coating job. It’s the reason we blast: removing mill scale, rust, and old...
In a world obsessed with sleek, portable, pocket-sized technological advances, Kaser Blasting & Coatings is here to tell you that the old adage still occasionally rings true: sometimes, bigger is better. Over the years, we’ve built and modified our space to bring...
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Lincoln, NE 68502
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Two Warnings for Anyone Considering Custom Powder Coating
When Should You Choose Liquid Coating over Powder Coating?
Staying Safe in the Wash Bay: A Pretreatment Operator’s Guide to PPE